Her Past
by animechick824
Summary: Patrick questions Carly to see what she remembers, but Jason gets jealous over Carly and Patrick's friendly banter. What will happen when Michael, Morgan, Bobbie, Lulu, and Spinelli visit? Where do they fit in Carly's new world? Jarly. Hints of CarPat.
1. Her Past

Her Past

Disclaimer: I do not own General Hospital. Carly and Jason are the property of ABC and Disney.

Summary: A night with Jerry Jacks brings up Carly's horrible past. Implied Carjax, Jarly.

Jason got a call from Coleman late one night. The bartender said that Carly was at Jake's. She wasn't causing too much trouble yet, but it might be best if Jason came to pick her up.

So Jason, the great best friend that he is, finished up his business and headed towards Jake's. He didn't like to go there anymore; it held way too many memories. It hurt even more when he was there with Carly.

When he arrived at Jake's, Carly was drinking out of a bottle of tequila at the bar with three guys hanging on her every word. She's smiling flirtatiously, in her element, but Jason notices the sadness in her gaze. When she catches sight of him, her eyes dim even further, and she dismissed her fan club. Two of the guys grumble but leave immediately. The third starts to bother her for a dance. She shoots him a glare and turns her back.

Jason can tell that the guy is getting angry, so he makes his way over to the bar and steps in.

"Back off," he says dangerously, with his patented ice blue glare. The guy freezes, recognizing the infamous Jason Morgan.

"S-sure…" he stutters, stumbling back and looking for different prey.

"Hey, Jase," Carly greets, still facing the bar with her back to him.

"That was dangerous, Carly. What if I wasn't here?" he questions her softly. He can almost hear her eyes roll, and then she tells him that she wouldn't have dismissed the guys if he wasn't there. Same old Carly, always twisting his words to make her point.

"Why are you here?" he switches topics. He wants to get out of Jake's as soon as possible, but he knows that she won't leave until she talks about what's bugging her. She only went to Jake's when she wanted to talk to him but didn't feel like calling or putting herself on the line. He didn't know why they repeated the same routine when she knew that she could come to him for anything.

"I need to go on fertilization treatments so Jax and I can have a baby," she replies. "I just found out I wasn't pregnant this afternoon. Again. Dr. Lee says once I start the treatments I can't drink anymore. I want to get it all out of the way tonight." If he turns her to face him, Jason knows that there will be a bitter smile on her lips and a brittle look in her eyes.

"Carly…" he trails off, uncertain. "Dr. Lee knows what she's doing. If you want to have a baby, I know you'll have one. You're the most stubborn person I know." She turns around at this, genuinely smiling through her tears.

"You really are something else, Jase," she says quietly. "Jax doesn't even know that I want to have a baby. I have to bring it up to him tomorrow, and tell him how difficult it is going to be. This is not a conversation I was looking forward to. I was hoping for a miracle, that I would get lucky and surprise him. Life doesn't always work out the way we want it to."

"What is this really about?" he asks her. He knows that if the problem were this simple that she would have come to him directly instead of using their Jake's routine.

"When I didn't want kids, I got pregnant. With Michael and that child that I lost with Sonny. When I desperately want to have a baby, it is just so difficult. Morgan was a miracle, and I just hope that I get another chance so Jax can be a father. He's amazing with the boys, and he deserves one of his own," Carly tells him.

"Carly…" Jason warns, letting her know by his tone that he knows that isn't what's bothering her.

"Dr. Lee suggested that Jax might be the problem. That he might have a low sperm count, or something. He needs to have a sample tested," Jason just sighs as he waits her out. He hopes that they get to the root of the problem soon.

"Jerry Jacks drugged and raped me last night. Or at least I think he raped me, I don't remember exactly what happened. God, Jase, this is just like with Ric!" Carly exploded. Jason is shocked by her confession.

"Why?" he whispers softly, reaching a hand up to wipe away her tears. Carly slaps his hand away as she turns her face out of his reach.

"He's been hitting on me forever. I thought his love for Jax would make him respect our marriage. I was wrong," Carly whispered back.

Jason's eyes go cold as he sees the impact Jerry's actions have on Carly. He wants to get his gun and go after Jerry right now for hurting his friend. Damn Jax! Why didn't he protect her from that filth he calls a brother?

"I want to leave," Carly states firmly, getting up immediately and slightly swaying due to the alcohol. She shouldn't have told him that. Now he's going to go after Jerry. If that bastard dies at Jason's hands, her marriage with Jax will be over.

"Carly…" Jason trails off, unsure of what to say. "Let me take you to the penthouse. I think we should talk about this."

"What is there to say?" she questions angrily. "I just want to go home."

Jason sighs softly, and then tells her that he wants to hear the whole story. Maybe they can decide if Jerry really raped her, or if he is just messing with her mind for some reason. Jason knows that he is going to kill the bastard either way, but it might make Carly feel better to know she wasn't violated.

"Fine," Carly agrees. Jason and Carly leave together and take the limo to his penthouse. The ride there is silent, with Carly purposely ignoring the issue and Jason staring steadily at his best friend.

"It's so quiet here," Carly says as they enter the suite. "Where's Spinelli?"

"Probably at the office. He's been hanging around there even more since Georgie's death," Jason answers. "Tell me what happened."

"You know what happened, Jase?" Carly questions angrily, turning towards him. "I was stupid, and I let my guard down! I know better than that! Even if he is my brother-in-law, he obviously doesn't respect Jax so why would he respect me?" After her outburst she turns away from him again. She doesn't want him to see the tears forming in her eyes.

"Carly…" Jason trails off helplessly. She always trusted him to make things better, but he had no clue what to do in this situation. All he wanted to do was go out and kill Jerry, but he knew that revenge would not help his best friend right now.

"Did you tell Jax?" he eventually questions.

"Tell Jax what, Jason? That the older brother he loves so much and saved so many times drugged and raped his wife? How do I break that to my husband?" Carly asks.

"Carly, how is he your husband if you can't tell him these things?" Jason says quickly in the face of her anger and pain.

"Is that what you want, Jase? For me to turn to Jax now whenever I have a problem? I know I rely on you to fix my messes, but you're my best friend. You're right though; I should trust Jax more. He's my husband. I don't need you to save me; Jax and I should work through this as a couple," Carly whispers with tears in her eyes.

The thought of Carly ever going to someone else, ever letting someone else take his spot as her best friend and protector, rips a hole through Jason's heart. He knew that once she realized she didn't need him, she would be gone. He's been waiting for that moment for ten years. But he doesn't let his pain show; it wouldn't help Carly right now, and all he wants is for her to be alright again. He can't be happy, or even content, if he knows that she is in pain.

"You probably should tell Jax as soon as possible," Jason agrees quietly, silently cursing himself and her and the gods for the situation they are in now. There was a time in their lives when Carly didn't care about any man but him. A time that he was her first priority, after Michael. But they both messed up their chance back then. And he'd be damned if he lost her as his best friend too.

"Jason…" Carly trails off, a helpless look in her eyes. She throws her purse on the coffee table, kicks off her shoes, and plops down on his couch like she belongs there. He wishes that she did.

With her eyes closed, Carly begins to tell him how she got herself into the situation with Jerry in the first place. She had seen him leaving Alexis's room at the MetroCourt and asked him again why he wouldn't go into business with Jax. She told him that it was a great chance to make money while doing something legal, and he and Jax could make up for all their lost time. She didn't mention that it would also hopefully keep him out of trouble and in the country where Jax wouldn't have to run to all corners of the earth to save him.

Jerry was his normal flirtatious self, and he told her that he would consider it if she had a drink with him. Carly called him crazy, but agreed to have a friendly cocktail with her brother-in-law. She had emphasized that part, reminding him of Jax.

'Oh, that Golden Boy,' Jerry had said with his obnoxious accent. 'You'll tire of my little brother soon enough.'

Something in his voice had raised Carly's hackles, and she went to storm off. Jerry quickly apologized and convinced her to have that drink.

"I only had one martini, Jase," Carly told him quietly, opening her eyes and staring directly into his. "I know my limitations, I wouldn't have blacked out from that. He must have slipped something in my drink. I remember the first couple sips, and then the next thing I know I wake up naked in Jerry's hotel room."

"Was there any…evidence?" Jason has to ask.

Carly tells him no, that there wasn't any…residue... anywhere, and she wasn't sore when she woke up. But she's already taken a shower, so she can't have a rape kit done. Jason doesn't say anything for a moment. Then…

"You'll get through this, Carly. You're the strongest person I know," he tells her.

"Or maybe just the best actress, Jase. You ever wonder?" she asks him, laughing mockingly.

"Wonder what?" Jason asks. He is confused at her words, and her pain is slicing his heart.

"How I turned out the way I did, Jase. I mean, look at Bobbie. She started out from nowhere, built herself up. She has stability now. I'm more like Luke, I think," she ponders musingly, still splayed on his couch.

"Carly…what does this have to do with anything?" he asks her.

"My adoptive father, Frank…he left when I was eight. I didn't know I was adopted then, though. All I wanted to know was why 'Daddy' had left. Wasn't I pretty enough, nice enough, sweet enough? God, I couldn't hold onto a man even as a baby. Even if the man was my supposed father. I didn't know it then, but he was the third man to leave my life. Pretty great track record, huh Jase? I'm such a fool," Carly tears into herself viciously, exposing her pain to his piercing blue gaze.

"Carly…it wasn't your fault," Jason is floundering, unsure of the right words to comfort her, if right words even existed.

"My real father, Luke, and then Frank. God, three men by age eight. He liked it when I called him 'Daddy.' Not enough to stay when Virginia found out, though," Carly spat.

The words scare him. He doesn't want to know what she means. It will explain so much though. Why she was attracted to older men – Tony, Sonny, Stavros. Why she was so insecure. Why she treated sex as a weapon. God, he's going to have to track down and kill this man, too.

"And Virginia blamed me too," Carly continues. "Don't think she didn't. Everything was my fault. If my mother didn't want me, well, then I'd find another family. Carly's family." Her laugh is brittle as she gets up and heads towards his liquor cabinet. He goes to intercept her, thinking she's had enough. Then he changes his mind and asks her to pour him a shot too.

"But, you know me Jase. If anything, I follow a pattern. And I never seem to learn," she tells him seriously, before downing another shot of whiskey. The liquor burns his throat as he matches her.

"Carly was perfect. Rich. Beautiful. Sweet. Nice, involved parents. And I fit myself nicely right into that family for a while. We swore to be sisters forever when we were ten. By sixteen she found out that I had been fucking her father for two years and tried to run me over with her cherry red convertible. Last second, she couldn't do it. Swerved, hit a tree. Dead on impact," Carly whispers stoically. A single tear makes its way down her face as she stares down her glass. Looking into her reflection, she scowls angrily and throws it against the wall.

"Carly…I…" Jason is still floundering. He can offer an ear for her pain, and a shoulder to cry on, and a bullet to kill whoever hurt her. But the right words to soothe her pain don't come, and Carly is refusing to cry let alone rest her head on his shoulder.

"…don't know what to say, Jase. I know. There's nothing for you to say. God, I was sixteen. The police found out…Mr. Roberts…Tom," she spits his name like it has a foul taste, "he committed suicide before he could be arrested. The kids at school blamed me for Carly's death. She was my best friend. All my other so-called friends were really Carly's. Once she was gone, I had nobody. I transferred schools, but not far enough. The stories followed me, so I got my GED, started working. 'Exotic dancer.' It's a pretty word for stripper, ain't it?"

Carly never wanted to talk about her past before. She always evaded any thoughts of her childhood, sometimes letting little things slip. She always covered up the worst parts, he could tell. But he let it go because he saw how much pain the past caused her. Having it all out there in one night was hurting Jason. Hurting him because it saw how much it hurt Carly. He wasn't sure what was worse: not knowing what was hurting her and not being able to help, or knowing what was hurting her and still not being able to do a damn thing about it. And he wasn't sure if it was better for Carly to keep it to herself or tell him, but she had always told him in the past that talking about things made people feel better.

"I love you. I'd do anything to make this better for you," Jason says softly. For a second, he thinks he's finally found the right words. Then she bursts out crying and flings herself into his arms. The tears come out in a flood, and she's babbling, crying, telling him how Virginia had finally turned her out of the house. How the only mother she'd ever known told her that she wasn't her mother at all in a fit of rage. How hurt, devastated to find out that she'd been adopted, and it was kept a secret until she was seventeen. How she hurt Virginia back when her adoptive mother had come crawling for forgiveness, apologizing, saying that she was sorry, and she didn't mean any of it.

"I took off the next day. Flung the most hurtful words I could've thought of at the woman I believed was my mother for seventeen years. Then, I just up and disappeared," she whispered softly into his neck. The words were muffled, hard to hear. He wouldn't have heard her if she wasn't so close to his ear.

"Where did you go before you came to Port Charles?" he questions her lightly. He tries to make the words as non-threatening as he can. He doesn't want to scare her, hurt her anymore than she already was.

"Here and there. Stayed mostly in Florida. Went to Miami. I worked as a dancer, a waitress, a secretary. Any job I could get my hands on. I was smart enough, even then, to stay away from the drugs and the pimps. At least until I came to Port Charles, that is," she claims bitterly.

"Carly, you're not a whore. And you obviously did something right. Look where you are now," Jason tells her soothingly.

She rips herself out of his arms and laughs mockingly. Staring into his eyes, she searches him for the truth. When she sees that he believes what he is saying, she wants to cry again.

"Jason, the only good thing I've ever done is become friends with you. And I almost screwed that up," Carly says scathingly.

"Your boys…" he protests, but she cuts him off with another chilling laugh.

"Jason, I didn't even know who Michael's father was. I kept AJ away from him when I found out. I almost died giving birth to him, and then when I woke up I wouldn't touch him. I left for a month when he was a newborn. I let him get kidnapped, and then I shot Tony when he wasn't convicted. I was kept away even longer because they thought I was insane. I married Michael's biological father and tried to destroy him. I pushed Michael's real father, that's you by the way, away. And then I made you leave town when I slept with your best friend when you finally told me we might have a chance," Carly bites out. She makes everything sound likes it's one hundred percent her fault.

"Carly, there were extenuating circumstances…" Jason protests.

"What, so now your making excuses for me, Jase? That's not like you. What about when I practically threw myself down the stairs at the Quartermaine mansion and killed my baby? Or getting kidnapped when I was pregnant with Morgan and refusing to eat for days at a time. God, or almost giving into Lorenzo when I was months pregnant with Sonny's child? A child I almost lost more than once. Not to mention the fact that I went into a coma while giving birth to Morgan, and I was gone for his first days too," Carly was blaming nobody but herself. Piling up all the guilt until she almost suffocated on it.

"Carly," Jason snaps at her, "none of that was your fault. AJ PUSHED you off those stairs. And you can't blame yourself for Ric kidnapping you. He's a psycho, and I should have kept you safe. And Lorenzo played mind games with you while holding you captive; there's no logical way to blame yourself for that. And Sonny shot you in the head in a bout of jealous rage when you were giving birth to his son – THAT'S what put you in a coma. So don't blame everything on yourself, Carly, because there are a whole hell of a lot of people who contributed to the bad things that happened to you."

When Jason is finished with his tirade, Carly just stares at him. He just stared levelly back at her, catching his breath. If she wasn't trying so hard to keep it together at the moment, her jaw would be touching the floor.

"I think that's the most I've ever heard you say in the decade I've known you," Carly laughs, breaking the tension. "But…"

"No buts, Carly," Jason interrupts her firmly. "I know you, and I know you would never purposely do anything to hurt your children or put them in harm's way."

"I killed my baby," she sobs slightly at his last words.

"AJ," he reminds her gently.

She shakes her head and tells him no. He thinks that she's refusing to let anyone else take the blame for her fall.

"Carly, AJ pushed you down the stairs. It wasn't your fault," Jason tells her softly. He steps towards her, attempting to take her into his arms again and comfort her. She turns away from him sharply.

Jason sighs. He knows that he's not acting like his normally stoic self, but Carly's pain always managed to touch his compassionate side in a way few others could. Emily, Michael, and Morgan being the only other exceptions.

Suddenly, Carly turns to face him.

"I had an abortion," she blurts out.

Jason is shocked. He cannot reconcile the idea of the Carly he knows ever having an abortion. Even with the circumstances surrounding her pregnancy with Michael, she never gave up.

Carly takes his silence as judgment. She scrambles to repair the ideals she sees breaking in his bright blue eyes.

"I…Caroline had an abortion," she explains softly, talking in third person to distance herself from the situation. "She was sixteen. It was Tom's baby. God, it was Carly's brother or sister! It's how she found out about the affair with her father. It was a tubal pregnancy, and I…Caroline needed to have an abortion. She wanted to know who the father was. I was in pain, regretting the loss of that tiny life even before it happened. I broke down and told her. God, was I stupid. I was looking for understanding, but all I got was hatred."

"Carly, that wasn't an abortion, it was a miscarriage," Jason points out. "There was nothing you could have done to keep the baby. You would have died from that pregnancy."

Carly just shakes her head sadly.

"God is punishing me now for having that abortion. I want a baby with Jax so badly, but I just can't seem to get pregnant. Now, with Jerry…I'm just afraid that I might be pregnant from last night," she explains, shaking and obviously terrified.

Jason realizes that they have finally gotten to the true reason why she is so upset, why she is pouring her heart out to him about her past. Jerry drugging and raping her reminded her of her helplessness with Tom, and now the baby she wants so much with her husband might be the result of a night of violence from his brother.

"I'm going to kill him, Carly," Jason promises firmly. "For drugging you, for raping you, and for ever even thinking of laying eyes at you at all." And for bringing up your past, he adds silently to himself.

He curses Jerry Jacks for the nightmares that he knows will plague him for the rest of his days. Nightmares of the worst kind – Carly hurt, in pain, and him unable to help her. Because even though he was Jason Quartermaine back then, even though they hadn't even met, he still takes responsibility for her pain. Because Carly always loves him, trusts him, needs him, and depends on him to make things better.

And he will. Because even though her past was horrible, Jason will do his best to make sure her future is whatever she wants it to be.


	2. Her Present

Her Present

Disclaimer: I do not own General Hospital. Carly and Jason are the property of ABC and Disney.

Summary: A night with Jerry Jacks brings up Carly's horrible past. Implied Carjax, Jarly.

"I have to go home. Jax and the boys must be worried sick. I didn't come home last night, and I skipped work today. I need to tell him what happened," Carly told him finally as she picked herself up off his couch. They had talked the night away, Jason trying to steer the conversation back to happier times whenever it went off track.

"Let me drive you home," Jason offers his best friend. Or at least he makes it seem like an offer; there is an edge of steel in his tone, and Carly knows he won't take "no" for an answer.

"Alright," she agrees. "Jason…can I ask you for a favor?"

"Anything," he promises her. He really means it. Jason would do anything right now just to see her smile.

"Do you think you can take Michael and Morgan for the night? Sonny is out with Kate, and I don't want to bother him. And Jax and I need to talk, but I don't want the boys to hear what happened. Morgan won't understand, but Michael will; he's a smart boy. And he's just been so angry lately, what with Leticia and Emily, and everything that's…" Carly began to babble. Jason could tell she was just nervous about talking to Jax, so he cut her off gently.

"I'll take the boys tonight," Jason tells her softly. "We'll do something fun. Grab a bite to eat, rent some movies. Maybe I'll ask Lulu and Spinelli to spend the night with us too."

"That would be great," Carly replies. Jason finally sees a smile from his best friend. Even though it's small and tentative, he knows it's the beginning of her recovery.

"Jase…?" Carly trails off. Jason knows that it means she wants something else but is afraid to ask.

"Yes, Carly?" he prompts her gently.

"Just, don't say anything about what I told you before, alright?" Carly asks him, a vulnerable look in her eye.

"You don't even have to ask," Jason swears to her. He does not know whether she is referring to Tom, the baby, Jerry, or anything else that has happened in her past, but Jason knows that he'd keep any secret she asked of him.

Jason would do anything to keep her safe and happy. Even if he had to lie, cheat, or kill to protect her.

"Thanks. You're the best," Carly tells him. She doesn't know where she would be without Jason.

She goes to the bathroom to fix herself up. Her makeup is a mess from crying, and she doesn't want the boys to get even more worried when they see her. As Carly straightens out her clothes and splashed water on her face, she looks in the mirror.

She no longer sees the beautiful image of a happily married and successful businesswoman that stared back at her yesterday morning. That image disappeared with Jerry's actions and her confessions to Jason. Instead, she sees the scared sixteen-year old that had to admit her actions to the woman she thought was her mother. Carly really hopes that the conversation with her husband goes a lot better than the one that led to the revelation of her adoption.

When Carly comes out of the bathroom, Jason is on the phone.

"Yes, I want it taken care of immediately," he orders whoever is on the other side. "Just do it." He disconnects and closes his cell phone as he turns to Carly.

"Ready?" Jason asks her. She doesn't know if he's asking if she's ready to leave or if she's ready to talk to Jax. Either way, the answer is "no."

"Sure," she tells him. He gives her a look telling her that he knows she's lying, but he won't press her. Jason has always been great like that. Unless it was really important, like life-threatening, Carly knew Jason would always give her the space she needed.

"Milo is driving us," Jason tells her as he opens the door and ushers her into the hallway.

"Okay," Carly asks. She's noticed that more guards have been around lately, but she doesn't ask why. She trusts Jason to keep her safe.

'Like he did last night?' a part of her mocks. She squashes the thought down, knowing that Jason can't be everywhere. He had no idea that Jerry presented a threat to her in that way.

The ride to the house is tense, with neither of them speaking. Jason can tell that Carly is anxious about telling Jax, and Carly is busy thinking about how she is going to break it to her husband.

She knows he's worried about her. She didn't come home the night before, and she slipped into the house only after she knew he had already left for work. When she didn't show up for work, but only left a message on his voicemail, Jax must have gone crazy.

The car stops. Neither Carly nor Jason move until Milo gets uncomfortable and reminds them that they've arrived at Carly's house.

"Come in with me?" Carly asks him softly. She's shaking, and he can see how scared she is.

"I would follow you anywhere if you let me," he tells her. Carly has had a lot of men say things like that to her. Jason is probably the only one who ever meant it.

She smiles at him awkwardly and leaves the car. As the two best friends slowly walk towards the house, the door bursts open. Jax is standing in the doorway like a parent waiting on a wayward child who stayed out after curfew.

"Where have you been, Carly?" he questions her immediately. "You've been gone since last night, and you haven't been home all day. Mercedes said you stopped in to get a change of clothes this morning, but you didn't even tell the boys that everything was alright. You had me worried sick." Jax's accent increases with his agitation as he scolds her.

"Hello to you too," Carly mutters under her breathe. She counts to ten before she says something that she will regret.

"Jax, we really need to talk," Carly manages to get out. She thinks it's a good start.

"Good," her husband replies. "Because I wasn't about to let you get out of it. What scheme are you working on this time?"

Carly is hurt that her husband immediately expects that she's been doing something wrong. She takes comfort in Jason's strong presence behind her and the knowledge that her best friend trusts her to only act in the best interests of herself and her family.

"I'm taking the boys for the night," Jason speaks up when Carly remains silent for too long. He can tell that she is upset by Jax's accusations, so he places a comforting hand on her back.

Jax turns away from the scene of Carly and Jason standing in the doorway of the house he shares with his wife. A stranger would think that Carly and Jason are the married couple, and Jax was the one who messed up. The two had always presented a united front to the outside world; Jax was disgusted every time he realized that he would always be considered part of the "outside world" in Jason's eyes, even though he was Carly's husband.

Not Jason.

Carly gives Jason a look of helplessness when Jax turns his back to them. As they walk into the house together, he softly whispers that everything will be okay. She believes him, because Carly knows that Jason will do anything he can to make that the truth.

"Michael! Morgan!" Carly calls to her boys upstairs. They thunder down the stairs when they realize that their mother is home.

"Mom!" Morgan calls to her as he gives her a hug. She picks him up and holds him close.

"How's my baby?" Carly asks as she chokes back her tears. She needed to keep it together for her boys.

"He's fine, Mom," Michael is the one who replies. "I helped Mercedes take good care of him."

"Thanks, Mr. Man," Carly tells her eldest. "You're a great big brother."

Michael nods to acknowledge his mother, and he takes in her appearance. Carly can tell that he's studying her, trying to find out what's wrong. She smiles when she realizes that his blue gaze is so much like his Uncle Jason's.

"Michael, how would you and Morgan feel about spending the night with me at the penthouse?" Jason asks the boy he once called his son. The boy he honestly still considered his son, if only in his heart.

Michael looked as if he wanted to protest, until he realized that his mother probably needed some alone time with Jax. He knows that something bad happened, but Michael is also smart enough to realize that his mom will never tell him what's wrong. She still treats him like a baby.

"I'd be cool with it," Michael simply responded. Jason could almost see the gears turning in the boy's head.

'Uh oh,' Jason thought. 'He must have a plan. Just like his mom.'

Jax turns around to face Carly, Jason, and the boys. If he didn't know better, he would think that they were one big happy family. Sometimes he resented Jason's presence in Carly's life. It hurt that she trusted and depended on another man before him, her husband. But whenever he brought up the topic, she looked at him like he was crazy and reminded him that he knew about her relationship with Jason before he married her.

"Why don't you boys go pack your pajamas and a change of clothes for tomorrow morning?" Jax manages as smile as he reminds Michael and Morgan that they need to get overnight bags together.

"Don't forget your toothbrushes!" Carly calls up to her boys as the run back up the stairs.

"What happened?" Jax questions again once he believes the boys are outside hearing range.

"We'll talk about it once Michael and Morgan leave with Jason," Carly promises her husband. She doesn't want Michael eavesdropping on their conversation.

"Fine," Jax agrees. He doesn't want to have a serious conversation with his wife while Jason is in the room anyway. He knows that Jason will "protect" her against any perceived threat, even if it is just constructive criticism coming from her husband.

"Thank you again for taking the boys," Carly tells Jason.

She has another reason for asking Jason to keep the boys overnight. She knows that her best friend is going to go after Jerry the first chance he gets, but Carly wants to tell her husband about what his brother did first. The boys will keep Jason preoccupied, if only for a night. It will give Carly enough time to have a serious conversation with Jax.

"It's no problem," Jason reminds her. "Besides, Spinelli and Lulu will help."

"Just don't let 'The Jackal' teach Michael how to hack into any restricted sites, okay?" Carly asks, half serious. "I don't want my son being arrested for breaking into any confidential government files, got it?"

"Got it," Jason agrees. "Besides, Spinelli would teach Michael how to not get caught. That's the most important part."

Carly was about to respond to that comment when Michael and Morgan came back downstairs.

"Alright, boys," she started, "You be good for your Uncle Jason, okay?"

"We'll be good, Mom," Michael promises.

"I'll be as good as Michael," Morgan agrees. Carly has to smile at how much her baby looked up to his older brother. She knew that being Morgan's role model definitely kept Michael from making a lot of bad decisions.

Or a lot more bad decisions, anyway.

"Put on your jackets, gloves, and scarves," Carly reminds them before they leave. "It's really cold outside."

"But Mom…" Michael whines. "Uncle Jason isn't wearing any gloves or scarves!"

"Well, Uncle Jason doesn't always listen to your Mom when he should," Carly teased her best friend. He just shrugged as he helped Morgan into his winter layers. He purposefully grabbed a pair of gloves for himself; when Michael saw that his "cool" Uncle Jason was actually listening, he sighed and complied with his mother's wishes.

"I'll see you tomorrow," Carly promised Michael and Morgan as she kissed them goodbye on the forehead. "We'll have a nice Sunday family dinner."

"You're not cooking, are you Mom?" Michael asked, horrified.

She just huffed and told him she was going to invite Mike, and he could cook. But not before giving her eldest son a look that said she didn't appreciate his comment.

"Can't blame the kid," Jason teased. "He's smart. He wants to live to be a teenager."

"Very funny, Jase," Carly said sarcastically. "You just don't appreciate my cooking skills."

"Burning frozen pizza in the oven is considered cooking now?" Jason mocked her lightly.

"I didn't know you had a sense of humor, Jason," Jax cut off their light banter. "Goodnight boys. I will see you in the morning." He showed Jason and the boys the door.

Jax closed and locked the door behind them after he saw Milo safely pull the car out of the driveway.

"Mind telling me where you were last night and all today?" Jax questioned his wife as he turned to face her.

Carly closed her eyes and braced herself for the coming conversation.

"One, two, three…ten," she muttered to herself softly, following her best friend's advice.

She opened her eyes to face Jax. The man she loved and married because he was supposed to make her happy and put her first. He was her present; her husband and her boys should be all she needed to pull her away from her past.

But Jason was a part of her past in a way that Jax and her sons could never be. And sometimes she just needed to be in the presence of her best friend to feel safe.

As she opened her mouth to tell Jax what Jerry had done and why she didn't come home the previous night, the room began to spin. The last thing Carly saw before everything went black was her husband diving to catch her from hitting the floor.

She thinks he was probably too late.

Jason wouldn't have been.


	3. Her Future

Her Present

Disclaimer: I do not own General Hospital. Carly and Jason are the property of ABC and Disney.

Jax saw that his wife was about to tell him where she had been, so he started to prepare himself for an argument. He knew that he hadn't handled her return home well; instead of immediately interrogating her, Jax should have been welcoming and understanding.

Maybe then she wouldn't have felt the need to keep Jason close for reinforcement.

Jax was just glad when her supposed "best friend" left with the boys. It would give him and Carly the necessary time to discuss everything and hopefully make up.

Carly crumbled to the floor and started twitching. Jax tried to catch her before she could hit, but he was too late.

The dull thud of her head slamming against the floor and the blood that began pooling under her blonde hair was a testament to that.

"Carly! Carly!" he shouted frantically.

Jax knew something was seriously wrong when her seizure got worse and she started throwing up. He had no idea what to do, and he was afraid that moving her would make it worse.

Jax ran to the phone and dialed 9-1-1. The operator picked up.

"My wife just collapsed in our living room!" Jax told her quickly. "She's bleeding from her head, throwing up, and twitching."

"Sir, please stay calm," the operator replied. "We're sending an ambulance now. Don't move her; we don't want you to do accidentally do more damage while she is having her seizure."

Jax tried to listen to the operator and calm himself down. He counted to ten; it was something that Carly always did to try to calm herself, and it made him feel closer to him wife.

Jax proceeded to tell the operator the house address. She told him not to hang up, and continued to talk him down from his frenzy.

Meanwhile, Jax crouched down on the floor next to Carly. Her twitching had slowed, but she was still dry heaving. Jax could hear sirens approaching, and he thanked god that help was on the way.

The emergency medical squad knocked on the front door, and Jax let them in. They immediately went to the still-shaking Carly, who was beginning to gain consciousness. The team loaded her onto a stretcher to take her to General Hospital.

Jax climbed into the back of the ambulance with his wife. Carly locked eyes with him from beneath her oxygen mask, and then her eyes rolled up in the back of her head. Machines started beeping, and Jax thought his own heart was going to stop when he saw that she was flat lining.

They removed her shirt and used the paddles to shock her heart back into rhythm.

Once.

Twice.

Three times.

Jax was losing hope, and he could tell that the medical personnel were beginning to get discouraged. He could lose his wife; Carly could die, and the last conversation they ever had would consist of him yelling at her and her hiding behind Jason.

Suddenly, Carly's heart started beating again. Everyone in the ambulance gave a quick sigh of relief. Then, Jax started fielding questions.

"Does your wife have a history of epilepsy?"

_No._

"Is she an alcoholic? Is she currently intoxicated?'

_No. No._

"Is she currently on drugs?"

_No, of course not._

The rest of the ride to General Hospital went by in a blur for Jax. Nobody would tell him what was wrong with his wife. When they finally arrived in the emergency room, she was whisked away to be immediately seen by a doctor. Her heart monitor had flat lined two additional times on the ride there.

Jax was terrified.

He was left alone in the waiting room, unsure what was wrong with his wife and whether she would ever recover. But Jax had to trust in Carly's strength, in her determination to never give up on life.

She had too much to live for: Michael and Morgan, her mother, Lulu.

Jason.

And they had promised to grow old together. Said their vows in front of all their loved ones and a priest. Started a family together: Carly, Jax, Michael, Morgan, and hopefully another child some day. Ran the business together as equal partners.

Jax couldn't wrap his idea around the fact that all that could be gone in the blink of an eye.

Carly, the woman he loves, could be gone in the blink of an eye.

Jax knew that he should page Bobbie, tell her to come down to the waiting room. But if he told her what happened, it would make it real.

His wife would really be in some room in the hospital fighting for her life right now.

And Jax wanted to live in denial just a little bit longer.

Lulu, Spinelli, Michael, and Morgan were having a good time. They had ordered pizza and rented a movie, and there was plentiful microwavable popcorn and soda. The sleepover was lots of fun so far.

For them, anyway.

Jason had gotten a bad feeling a couple minutes into the ride back to the penthouse. He didn't say anything because he didn't want to worry the boys, but he felt like Carly was in trouble.

Jason figured he was just being paranoid; Carly was safe at home with her husband. Even if she and Jax argued, Jason trusted that Jax would never intentionally hurt her.

Not if he wanted to see the next morning, anyway.

Jason put the feelings off as just being uneasy about finally knowing the full ugliness of Carly's past. Her confessions had shocked him, and his best friend's pain cut through his heart more surely than any bullet or knife ever had or ever could.

So Jason ignored his instincts and tried to enjoy the night with his nephews, charge, and the young woman that he thought of as his niece. Lulu had grown close to Carly, and Jason knew that his best friend thought of her cousin as more of a little sister, or even a daughter.

Lulu's closeness to Carly, her importance to his best friend, guaranteed that Jason would accept the young "Blonde One" into his life. The fact that she was best friends with Spinelli and kept Jason's secret even from her brother cemented Lulu's position in Jason's life. He cared for the young woman and included her amongst his family.

But no matter how much he cared for the four young people with him in his penthouse that night, Jason's mind was on a certain blonde "Valkyrie" that owned his heart.

Jason just never let her hold it. He was always too afraid of what it would mean to lose himself wholly in Carly's love, trust, and devotion. Jason feared that he would fail her; even more, he was scared that his own love wouldn't be enough.

It hadn't been all those years ago when she turned to Sonny.

So Jason was a million miles away in his own little world. Lulu and Michael noticed but didn't comment, and Spinelli told himself that he would ask "Stone Cold" what was wrong later.

Jason was too busy thinking about the past and analyzing his choices to even realize how obvious he was being in his preoccupation. He just couldn't shake his bad feeling, and he greatly worried about his best friend.

Jason had no way of knowing just how badly he would regret leaving Carly alone with Jax that night.

And even worse, not going back to her when his instincts told him something was wrong.

A few hours later, Jax was sitting still and quietly in a hard, cold hospital chair in the waiting room. Bobbie passed by when she was making her rounds, and noticed her daughter's husband sitting alone, disconsolate and listless. Incredibly worried, with a sinking feeling in her gut, she rushed to him.

"Jax, what's wrong?" Bobbie asked him. "Where's Carly? Is something wrong with her? Is she being treated right now?"

Bobbie knew that it couldn't have been either of her grandsons because Carly would have contacted her immediately. Her daughter would want Bobbie to be with Michael or Morgan if they were seriously hurt, and Carly would be kicking up a fuss and causing a disturbance if it was just something minor.

So Bobbie had a bad feeling that her daughter was lying in a hospital bed somewhere. She wondered how news hadn't traveled to her through the nurses' grapevine.

All the useless gossip was passed through, but something important (like if Carly was sick or injured) didn't reach her.

"Jax?" Bobbie questioned the Aussie again.

He snapped out of his daze at his mother-in-law's prompting. As Jax raised his bloodshot blue eyes to Bobbie's brown, he wanted to cry at the worry he saw there.

The reason he was sitting in the hard plastic chair crashed down on him again, and he started to cry. Two silent tears wound their way down his face before he wiped them away.

"We were talking in the living room when she collapsed," Jax finally told Bobbie when she asked him again if something was wrong with Carly.

"Is she alright?" Bobbie asked her son-in-law, fearing the answer.

"She hit her head, went into a seizure. She started throwing up, and her eyes rolled to the back of her head. Carly…she flat lined three times on the way to the hospital…" Jax couldn't go on.

Perhaps he had been too blunt, because Bobbie looked as though she might collapse from worry. When he told her that the doctors hadn't said anything yet, however, she quickly composed herself and left to find out what was taking so long.

Jason felt a sharp pain in his heart, and he was halfway to the door before he realized what he was doing.

"What's wrong?" Lulu finally asked.

"Nothing," Jason assured her.

He went out into the hallway and opened his phone.

"C'mon, Carly," he said to the ring as he waited for her to pick up her cell phone.

When she didn't answer, his worry increased even more. Carly always had her cell phone with her, and it was always on. And she always answered when he called.

Always.

Jason tried not to panic, so he called the house phone next.

_No answer._

Jax's cell.

_No answer._

Getting desperate, he quickly went back into the penthouse to ask Lulu and Spinelli to take care of the boys for the night.

"Stone Cold?" Spinelli inquired quietly. He sensed that something was wrong with his mentor and protector.

"Please watch Michael and Morgan for me tonight," Jason more ordered than asked.

"Is everything alright?" Lulu questioned again.

"It will be," Jason assured. "I just have to go out for a bit. I don't know when I'll be back."

He quickly said goodbye to the boys and left the penthouse.

"Milo, drive me to Carly's house," Jason ordered the young guard.

"Sure thing, boss," Milo replied.

When they arrived at the house, the door was slightly ajar. Jason rushed into his best friend's house, Milo hot on his heels.

They were both afraid that it was mob-related, and Milo knew that his boss would need back-up.

So when Jason walked in to find the living room light on and a pool of blood on the floor, he suspected the worst. No valuables appeared to be missing, and everything looked to be exactly how it was when he left those few short hours ago.

There were no signs of a struggle.

Except Jason realized that there was also vomit on the floor; it was hard to see because most was on the rug. (The awful smell gave it away.)

Had Carly gotten sick and fell? Jason knew that he wouldn't have felt this badly if something was wrong with Jax.

"We're going to General Hospital," Jason ordered Milo. He turned the living room light off on the way out and locked the front door.

_Carly, whatever's wrong, I'm on my way._ Jason silently promised his best friend and the woman that could have been the love of his life.

Patrick Drake and Robin Scorpio walked quietly into the waiting room, Bobbie Spencer a step behind. They went immediately to Jasper Jacks, sitting forlorn and obviously agonized in the dark corner.

"We're sorry," Patrick began, "there's nothing more that we can do for her…"

And Jax saw their future shatter before his very eyes.


	4. Her Past Revisited

Her Past Revisited

Disclaimer: I do not own General Hospital. Carly and Jason are the property of ABC and Disney.

Jason entered the hospital, and asked a nearby nurse where he could find Bobbie Spencer. She pointed him in the direction of the waiting room. As Jason entered, he immediately spotted Patrick talking to Bobbie and Jax, with Robin hovering in the background. He caught the tail end of their conversation.

"…the unknown drug in her system sent her into seizures. She flat lined several times, but we were able to bring her heart into a regular rhythm. Carly also sustained a concussion when she hit her head. We believe that she may have sustained some brain damage, but we will be unable to evaluate her mental state further until she wakes up," Patrick finished.

"But she'll wake up?" Jax asked, hope finally starting to return.

But all Jason was able to think was '_brain damage_'. What if Carly changed like he had changed? What if she didn't remember him?

The thought was too painful to contemplate, so Jason remained in the shadows and listened to the conversation between his best friend's husband, mother, and doctor.

"Chances are that she will wake up, yes," Patrick hedged.

Robin cut in, "But there is something else you should know…"

"Robin," Patrick cut her off with a glare.

"You can't keep it a secret!" Robin told him, "Jax deserves to know."

"To know what?" Jax asked.

"Jax," Robin began gently, but Patrick once again cut her off.

"Look, Robin, you can't be objective in this case. I know that you are friends with Jax, and everybody knows that you hate Carly. Why don't you let me handle this?" Patrick asked her tightly.

Robin huffed, but fell silent once again.

"Jax, Carly received a false negative when she came to see Dr. Lee the other day," Patrick tried to break it to the man gently.

"What?" Jax asked. He had no idea what Patrick was talking about.

Patrick did not know that Carly kept her visits to Dr. Lee secret. He thought Jax was just shocked that his wife had been pregnant.

"Carly was pregnant," Patrick continued. "But the baby could not survive the trauma so early, and Carly had a miscarriage."

Jax was devastated. The baby that he wanted so badly was lost. Again. Carly lied to him and kept her visits to Dr. Lee a secret. Maybe that had been part of what she wanted to tell him tonight? Carly did not know she was pregnant, but maybe she wanted to talk about trying together?

Jax did not wish to think about it anymore, so he turned away and let Bobbie handle the doctors.

Jason was devastated. The baby that Carly wanted so badly was lost. Again. Carly got hurt and he wasn't there to help. He should have listened to his instincts. Carly did not know she was pregnant, but Jason knew she would be devastated over this miscarriage.

Jason did not wish to think about it anymore, so he stepped out of the shadows and headed towards Bobbie.

Meanwhile, Carly's monitors started beeping like crazy in her room. She started breathing heavily and suddenly shot up in her bed. Awake but disoriented, Carly started pulling the tubes from her skin.

"Mrs. Jacks, you can't do that," Nadine told her gently as she walked into the room.

"Mrs. Jacks?" Carly asked, confused. "I'm sorry, but I think you've got me confused with somebody or something. You should check your chart. Anyway, the doctor said that I could leave right after the procedure."

"Mrs. J… um, Carly," Nadine corrected herself, realizing the patient was confused, "there were some complications. Which doctor did you talk to?"

Nadine was confused herself. The charts said that Mrs. Carly Jacks had not woken up before, so when had she talked to a doctor? And she seemed really confused. Nadine knew that she had to get Dr. Drake.

"My name is Caroline," Carly corrected her again. "Caroline Benson. I have to get home. My mother doesn't know that I'm here."

Nadine was very confused by this point. She knew that Benson was Carly's maiden name, but Carly never told anybody to call her Caroline. And of course Bobbie knew that she was in the hospital. But why did that matter, anyway?

"Don't worry," Nadine tried to comfort her. "Bobbie knows that you're here."

"Who's Bobbie?" Carly questioned. "It doesn't matter, anyway. I have to get home."

"One second, please," Nadine asked her, trying to keep her calm. She really needed to get Dr. Drake. Just as the nurse went to leave the room, Jax entered. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw his wife awake.

"Mr. Jacks, you might want to…" Nadine trailed off as he ignored her, heading straight towards a confused Carly.

"Hey, you, back up," Carly said, confused at who this man was. He was getting too close for comfort.

"Carly?" Jax asked, confused. He knew that it was going to be difficult for her, losing the baby, but she didn't even know about the miscarriage yet. She didn't even know about the pregnancy yet.

"I don't know who you are," she told him, "but stay about from me. I'm leaving now. I need to go home. My mother is probably worried sick by now; this took a lot longer than I thought, and she doesn't know where I am."

"Carly, Bobbie is right outside," Jax reassured her.

"Who is Bobbie?" Carly questioned him. "The blonde nurse said that name too."

"Carly…" Jax was getting nervous. Was this a result of the brain damage Dr. Drake had mentioned?

"I'm going to get Dr. Drake," Nadine told him. She slipped out of the room to find Patrick.

"Stop calling me Carly! My name is Caroline!" Carly told Jax. "I don't know who you think you are, and I really don't care. I have to leave now!"

Carly stumbled as she headed determinedly towards the door, and Jax caught her. He laid her back down on her bed, worried about her mental state.

"I need to get home," Carly told him, trailing off as she drifted back to sleep. The stress of waking up in an unfamiliar hospital room had gotten to her.

"Bobbie, what happened?" Jason questioned his best friend's mother.

"Jason, why are you here?" Bobbie asked him in return, avoiding his question.

"I had a bad feeling after I dropped Carly off at her house. I went back to check up on her, and the front door was unlocked. Nobody was home, and there was vomit and blood on the floor. What happened?" Jason repeated, getting frustrated.

Bobbie knew she should be shocked that Jason was so in tune to her daughter, but she wasn't because she knew the two had a very deep bond. Jason would always be there to catch Carly when she fell.

"Jax and Carly were talking, and Carly fainted. She hit her head on the floor and went into convulsions. Jax called 9-1-1, and they managed to get there in time. She flat lined a couple times on the way to the hospital, and Patrick thinks that her seizures were the result of an unknown drug in her system. She had a miscarriage, and Patrick thinks that she might have sustained some brain damage," Bobbie told him outright. She knew better than to sugarcoat anything for Jason Morgan. It would just make him angrier in the long run.

Just as Jason was about to respond, a blonde nurse headed towards Bobbie.

"Do you know where Dr. Drake is?" Nadine asked. "Carly just woke up, and she is really confused."

"Just have him paged," Bobbie reminded the young nurse. "I'll just go in and see how she is in the mean time. Is Jax in there?"

"Yes," Nadine replied. "But…"

"But what?" Bobbie asked.

"She told me her name was Caroline Benson, and she didn't recognize Mr. Jacks when he walked in. I think there is something wrong with her memory," Nadine said.

Jason felt like he had been sucker punched. What if Carly didn't remember him? Unable to deal with the uncertainty, he headed straight for his best friend's room.

When he entered, she was fast asleep. Jax was sitting in the chair by her bedside, softly stroking her hair. He looked up as the door opened.

"Do you know something about this?" Jax questioned him.

Jason looked the man straight in the eye.

"I know this wouldn't have happened if she wasn't married to you," Jason told him.

"Well, if it's all my fault, why did you leave her alone with me?" Jax questioned him sarcastically.

It was a question Jason would have to deal with for the rest of his life.


	5. Her Present Different

Her Present, Different

Disclaimer: I do not own General Hospital. Carly and Jason are the property of ABC and Disney.

Jason was sitting by Carly's bedside, watching her sleep, as her eyes finally fluttered open again.

"Jase?" she asked, "What's wrong? Why am I here?"

"Carly?" he asked, surprised that she remembered him. "How do you feel?"

"Like I did the last time Sonny drugged me to get me into bed," Carly said, attempting to be flippant.

"What are you talking about, Carly?" Jason questioned gently, confused. Sonny had never drugged Carly. Or maybe Jason just didn't know about it…

"I know you don't like talking about it, Jase," Carly told him, "I won't mention it again. Where's my mom? Does she have the kids?"

"Bobbie's right outside," Jason responded. "I left Michael and Morgan with Spinelli and Lulu."

"Who's Bobbie? Michael? Morgan?" Carly asked him. "And why are you calling Damien by his former last name? You haven't called him that for a while."

Carly was really confusing Jason. He realized that her confusion and memory problems must be a result of the brain damage Dr. Drake mentioned.

"Carly, let me get the doctor," Jason told her. "I can tell you're confused. Maybe Dr. Drake has something to help."

"Why do you keep calling me Carly, Jase?" she asked him, ignoring his mention of Patrick. "New nickname for your beautiful wife? My best friend is going to be a little confused."

Jason was starting to get nervous. Her memory problems seemed extensive, but she didn't even seem to realize that anything was wrong. It was like this Carly was from another world or something…

"Let me get Dr. Drake," Jason said again, in lieu of answering her questions.

"Okay, Jase," Carly agreed. "I'm going to go back to sleep now. Love you…"

Carly quickly drifted back to sleep before Jason could tell her to stay awake long enough for Patrick to check her out. Jason was scared that something was seriously wrong with his best friend. She didn't seem to know who Bobbie, Michael, or Morgan were, she mentioned a different best friend, and she was extremely hostile to Sonny.

As Jason walked into the hallway to find somebody to page Dr. Drake, Jax walked up to him.

"How is she?" Jax asked his wife's best friend. "Did she remember anything?"

Jason just looked at Jax for a second, refusing to answer his question.

"Carly fell back to sleep," he finally said. "I'm getting Dr. Drake."

"Why do you need Patrick? Is something wrong?" Jax asked frantically. "Did she remember me? Or Bobbie?"

Jason just continued looking for a nurse or orderly. He needed to talk to Dr. Drake.

"Or maybe she didn't remember you?" Jax finally settled for taunting his wife's best friend. "Is that why you're so silent? You don't want to admit that the woman who reveres you as a god lost her memory of you because you failed her?"

Jason felt a pang in his heart as Jax's words. The man was right – Jason had failed his best friend. He failed to listen to his instincts, and he left her alone with her husband. She lost her baby, and her memory was obviously confused. But Jason did have something to be relieved about – Carly remembered him, despite forgetting about nearly everybody else.

"What? You don't want to take responsibility for your failure?" Jax continued to taunt. "You obviously know something about that drug in her system – Carly was with you right before she came home."

"Ask your brother," Jason finally told the man, shutting him up for only a second.

Jax was confused. Did Jerry have something to do with Carly's condition? He honestly did not believe that his brother would harm his wife – Jerry knew how much Jax loved Carly. He knew that they were trying for a baby.

"Don't bring my brother into this," Jax said finally, continuing to pester Jason.

"Please page Dr. Drake," Jason said to a nearby nurse, ignoring Jax completely by this point.

"And don't lie to yourself, Jason," Jax continued. "If she remembers anybody, she'll remember Michael and Morgan first. Maybe I'll even get lucky. Maybe she'll **never** remember you!"

Jason looked straight into Jax's eyes with his icy blue glare.

"Shut up," he told the man lowly, threateningly.

"Why? Hitting too close to home?" Jax asked, refusing to stop bothering Jason.

"No," Jason said shortly. "But you're going to strike out if you don't shut up."

"Is that a threat?" Jax questioned him.

"I don't make threats," Jason told him seriously, the promise in his eyes.

Jax finally fell silent, and both men waited right outside Carly's room for Dr. Drake to arrive.

"Patrick!" Jax said to the doctor as he approached Carly's door, Bobbie beside him.

"She woke up twice, but she's sleeping now," Jax told him. "Where were you? Didn't Nadine go to get you?"

"I was in a delicate surgery at the time," Patrick explained. "I came as soon as I could."

"You have to talk to her, see what's wrong," Jax told him.

Patrick explained to his patient's husband that it would be imprudent to wake her up – Carly needed her sleep. He would question her (gently, he added at Jason's silent glare at those words) when she woke up naturally.

"Did you interact with her?" Patrick asked them both. "Was she speaking? Coherent? Moving around?"

"She was speaking fine," Jax told him. "But she seemed really confused. She didn't know who I was, and she kept asking for her mother. I don't know…I was so happy that she woke up, but then Carly wasn't making any sense."

Jax seemed forlorn and helpless. Patrick could understand that – the man had watched his wife collapse, nearly die, lose their baby, and now she woke up but didn't remember him.

"She knew who I was," Jason told Patrick quietly. "And she mentioned Sonny, but she didn't recognize any other names."

"**What**?!" asked Jax angrily. How could his wife remember a mob boss and his hit man but not her own husband?

Before Jason could answer, there was a commotion in Carly's room.

"Where's my husband?!" Carly asked the nurse who was checking her vitals. "Where's my husband?! **I want him right now!** Where's Jason?"

Jason locked eyes with Jax, who had heard Carly's words clearly.

"Well, now you know why I didn't tell you," Jason told the man, ironically.


	6. Her Future Hope

Her Future Hope

Disclaimer: I do not own General Hospital. Carly and Jason are the property of ABC and Disney.

"Jason! **Jason**!" Carly was hysterical by this point, "Where's Jason? Is he all right? If he was okay, he'd…"

Jason couldn't withstand Carly's calls for him anymore. With one last glance at his best friend's husband, he turned to give her the comfort she so clearly needed. Carly was confused, and he didn't want her hurting herself any more than she already was.

"I'm right here, Carly," Jason assured as he stepped into the room. "I just stepped out for a minute to talk to Dr. Drake."

"Oh, Jase," Carly whispered, immediately calming down. "Are you okay? Ric was acting crazy, and I thought he was going to kill you, and then…"

Jason ignored her mention of Ric. He knew that her memories were all messed up – that was why he wanted Patrick to check her out.

"I'm fine. You're the one hurt. How do you feel?" Jason asked her softly.

"Okay," Carly replied shakily. "Where are the boys?"

"They're fine. Safe and sound with Lulu and Spinelli," Jason assured her.

"Lulu and Spinelli?" Carly questioned. "Where's Leticia?"

Jason couldn't bear to tell Carly that her sons' nanny was dead. He knew she would eventually remember on her own – or he hoped, anyway – and he didn't want to give her any information that might hinder her recovery.

"She couldn't watch them tonight," Jason told her.

It wasn't a lie – Jason couldn't bear to lie to Carly even one more time. It just wasn't the truth. He just hoped Carly saw it that way when she remembered.

"Okay," Carly agreed. "She needs some time off every once in a while. I trust that you left our boys in good hands."

Jason nodded; he was glad that she was satisfied with his answer. And proud that she had called Michael and Morgan "our boys".

"And I'm glad that Michael and Matthew are spending some time with their aunt and uncle tonight. You know how my sister loves to spoil her godchildren rotten," Carly said with a fond smile.

Jason was confused again, but he hid it from Carly. He didn't want her to get nervous or scared, so he just nodded and agreed with whatever she was saying.

"I'm just going to get Dr. Drake. He wanted to see you once you woke up," Jason said, knowing that Patrick and Jax were probably right outside the door, listening to what he was saying to his best friend.

"Noah?" Carly asked.

"No, Patrick," Jason replied, unsure of why she thought he would let Noah Drake anywhere near her head. He was still a recovering alcoholic after all, and Jason would not let any doctor less than brilliant anywhere near Carly.

"You're letting **Patrick** be my doctor?" Carly asked him, shocked.

"Of course, Carly," Jason replied. "He's one of the best doctors in the world."

"Um…yeah," Carly agreed. "But he's also my best friend – and I know you don't exactly like him."

Jason blinked. He had to admit – hearing Carly call Patrick her best friend hurt. A lot.

Despite the fact that she thought he was her husband.

"He will be professional," Jason settled on saying. Avoiding another lie. Avoiding another truth.

"Always," Carly smiled. "I trust him with my life – I just wanted to make sure you were comfortable with it."

Jason just nodded his agreement. He wondered at Patrick's place in Carly's imaginary life – did Patrick take his place as best friend, confidante, and savior in her fantasy world?

Jason pushed those thoughts aside, focusing on reality. It was what he did best.

"I'll be right back," he assured her as he slipped back into the hallway.

Patrick was leaning against the opposite wall when Jason stepped out of Carly's room. The pensive look on the doctor's face told Jason that he had obviously been listening in.

The now-absent Jax was another clue.

"So?" Jason said lowly after giving Patrick another minute to think.

"I'm going to have to talk to her myself," Patrick told him firmly. "But…"

"But..?" Jason questioned.

"It seems to be that Carly has not lost her memory – her mind has just completely changed her reality. She still knows who you are – but she thinks that you are her husband. And she recognizes Michael's name, but she calls her other child Matthew. There are many other inconsistencies – I believe that she thinks Lulu is her sister," Patrick mused aloud.

"What are you saying?" Jason asked.

"Last time Carly had a brain injury," Patrick said, "she slipped into a coma and lived in a fantasy world with Lorenzo Alcazar. When she woke up, she still had those fantasies with her, and they impaired her emotional responses to the real world. To real people – Sonny, you, her children. This time – she doesn't know that the real world exists."

Jason already knew that he wasn't going to like Patrick's diagnosis.

"So how do you fix her?" Jason inquired.

"I'm going to have to talk to her, see what else she 'remembers'. But something else is bothering me…"

Jason just gave the doctor a look, silently telling him to continue.

"When Carly woke up the first time, Nadine told me that it sounded like she had regressed. She asked to be called 'Caroline Benson', and she didn't recognize Bobbie's name, or her boys, or even Jax. She referred to a procedure that she said wouldn't take that long, and claimed that she had to be home. But when Carly woke up again, she seemed to have no recollection of any of this happening," Patrick told Jason.

Jason began to feel sick to his stomach as Patrick continued.

"Her mind may be recreating her memories every time she falls asleep. I'm going to be keeping Carly here for observations for a while. She is physically fragile right now, and needs to recover. Not to mention that I am going to have to run extensive tests to find the root of her brain damage – I have never seen anything like it," Patrick informed him.

"So you mean…next time she wakes up, she might not remember me?" Jason asked.

"Maybe," Patrick confirmed. "Or maybe she will get her real memories back, perfect and complete. There's no telling what the future might hold – not until I run those tests and speak to her personally."

"And until then?" Jason asked, angrily. Patrick seemed unconcerned that his entire world had just been flipped upside-down.

Jason didn't know what he would do if Carly woke up and didn't remember him.

"Just keep up hope that she will regain her memories," Patrick consoled before stepping into Carly's room.

Jason thought it was quite fitting when the door slammed shut, keeping him out of Carly's hospital room.

He just hoped that he wouldn't be kept out of her life.


	7. Her Past Recreated

Her Past Recreated

Disclaimer: I do not own General Hospital. Carly and Jason are the property of ABC and Disney.

"Hello Carly, how are you feeling today?" Patrick asked his patient as he stepped into her room.

"My head hurts a little and everything's a little jumbled up," Carly replied. "But why are you being so formal, Pat?"

Patrick blinked, remembering that Carly had said that he was her best friend. It was strange to have this beautiful woman call him "Pat", a nickname that he never let anybody use. Not since his college days, anyway…

"I'm your doctor," he answered her simply. Patrick did not want to bias any of her answers to his next questions, so he thought it best if he told her as little as possible.

"Oh, I get it," Carly said. "You want to play doctor and patient again? You're so kinky – Jason's probably right out in the hall."

Patrick gulped at the heat in her eye and the honey in her voice. Surely she was teasing? If she was with Jason, Patrick would have bet money that she would never even look at another man again…

"Please focus, Carly," Patrick told her. "I have a couple questions that I would like you to answer."

"Okay, Pat. Sorry," Carly apologized, immediately losing her air of seduction. "You know I was only teasing."

Patrick nodded, relieved.

"What's your full name?" he questioned.

"Caroline Leigh Morgan," she responded.

"What year is it?" Patrick continued.

"2008," Carly responded promptly.

Patrick sighed a breath of relief. At least she was in the right year – that should make things easier.

"Who are your parents?" Patrick asked.

Carly looked at him strangely when he asked that question, but she responded anyway.

"Stefan and Barbara Jean Cassadine," she told him. "Where is this going?"

"You hit your head. I just want to make sure that everything is alright," Patrick explained.

Carly looked at him suspiciously for a second, but acquiesced. Patrick was almost startled at how easily she gave in, but then he remembered – she thought he was her best friend. She trusted him.

Did Carly's trust in Patrick in her imaginary world measure up to her trust in Jason in the real world? Patrick could only imagine having a friend so devoted…

"Do you have any brothers or sisters?" Patrick asked her. He wanted to know more about her comment about Lulu before.

"Three sisters, one brother," Carly responded. "Charlotte, Lesley Lu, BJ, and Lucas. Except Charlotte is mine biologically."

Carly smiled at that last part, as if it was an inside joke between them.

Patrick smiled back. He could get used to this side of Carly…

"Children?" he continued questioning her.

"Michael and Matthew Morgan are my boys. Madeline is Jase's girl," Carly joked.

"What do you do for a living?" Patrick questioned.

"Okay, obviously nothing's wrong with my memory, Pat," Carly told him, exasperated by now. "What's really going on here?"

"Please just answer the question, Carly," Patrick almost pleaded.

"I'm a doctor," Carly replied, rolling her eyes. "I didn't want to help run the family business; I left that up to Cousin Nikkie. But I didn't want to be a nurse like my mother – I wanted more. But you know all of this, remember? I told you when we first met. Are you sure that **you** aren't the one with the memory problems?"

"Pretty sure," Patrick replied with a smile.

He was glad that Carly thought she was a doctor – it would be an easy way to prove to her that her memories were false. Carly did not have the medical background or knowledge to be a capable doctor – once Patrick exposed that, perhaps he could find more holes in her fantasy world.

"We done, Pat?" Carly questioned with a sullen look across her pretty features.

"Yeah, we're done," he agreed, sitting in the plastic chair next to her bed. "I just need to run a CAT-scan and MRI later to see what's going on up there."

Patrick tapped against his own temple with those last words. Carly scowled at him playfully.

"If you say nothing, Pat…" she trailed off mock-threateningly.

Patrick just looked at her with a "who, me?" expression. It was surprising how easily they fell into banter and camaraderie.

"So, how's Jase?" Carly questioned. "Ric really did a number on him. I know that he blames Jason for Sonny's death, but that was almost ten years ago. It wasn't Jason's fault that Sonny walked right into Moreno's ambush. He couldn't have known…"

Patrick blinked at that. He wondered if Carly's memories were based on actual events that took place. It was possible that she just changed things that really happened to more suit her own situation.

He would have to ask Jason if anything similar to some of Carly's memories occurred… Patrick was still pretty new on the scene, and he didn't know everybody's history.

"Jason's fine," Patrick answered her. "He's worried about **you**. You hit your head pretty hard…"

"I'll be okay," Carly reassured him. "You know me; I don't stay down for long. And I absolutely hate being the patient and not the doctor – I'm going to go stir crazy before long."

"As opposed to actual crazy?" Patrick teased. He was almost shocked at how easy it was to talk to her, to tease her. He almost wished that they really were best friends…

"The craziness gene skipped a generation in my family," Carly told him.

"Obviously…Michael and Morgan are perfectly sane," Patrick quipped.

Then he froze…Carly wouldn't let that slide…

"Why do you always call Matthew by our last name?" Carly just laughed. "We're **all** Morgans. I mean, I know that you opposed us naming him Matthew, but I didn't think that you'd call my poor son by his last name for the rest of his life. Most kids don't have to deal with that until high school…"

"Well…" Patrick began uneasily, but Carly cut him off.

"And Madeline is perfectly sane too!" she told him. "You always forget about her."

And then Carly pouted at him. Patrick thought those lips should be registered as lethal weapons. And those big, beautiful blue eyes…

"You almost done?" Jason asked, tired of Carly and Patrick's chatter.

He had listened in as Patrick asked Carly questions, and he was annoyed at their friendly banter. Jason didn't like any male that was too comfortable in Carly's presence.

Before Carly or Patrick could respond, the doors burst open again.

"Mom!" Michael and Morgan shouted together, Bobbie trailing behind them. Lulu and Spinelli remained in the doorway.

"Michael! Matthew! How are my boys?" Carly responded to her sons enthusiastically. "And where is my girl?"

And with that, all hell broke loose…


End file.
